The NCAA Sport Science Institute is thrilled to offer its first post-graduate internship position! This exciting opportunity will provide the intern with broad exposure to health, safety and performance topics that support member schools across all three NCAA divisions. The intern will contribute to a variety of national-level initiatives within SSI’s three core service lines: health promotion, sports medicine and development.
Since its inception in 2013, the SSI has collaborated with the NCAA membership, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, medical and research experts, and various sports medicine organizations to develop evidence and consensus-based guidance and educational resources that support schools in promoting student-athlete health and safety. This work aligns with and furthers the SSI’s four strategic priorities: mental and physical health, sport-related illness and injury, training and performance, and education and policy.
Because the SSI internship is interdisciplinary, this role will prepare the individual for diverse career paths in athletics, including athletics healthcare, health education, wellness, public health, higher education, communications and sport policy.
Job Description: Sport Science Institute
General position summary: The NCAA Sport Science Institute intern will help advance initiatives that promote student-athlete health, safety and performance. The intern will have the opportunity to contribute to projects across SSI’s three service lines: health promotion; sports medicine; and development.
Working as part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team, the intern will support SSI’s mission to promote safety, excellence and wellness in college student-athletes and to foster lifelong physical and mental development. These efforts extend across all three NCAA divisions.
While the role is nonclinical and will not involve direct research (e.g., exercise science lab work), it offers a unique opportunity to engage with credentialed professionals — including athletic trainers and the NCAA’s chief medical officer — and observe how athletics health care expertise informs national-level strategies to support student-athlete health, safety and performance in collegiate athletics. The intern will develop an understanding of how research/data-informed decisions lead to evidence- and consensus-based guidance for the NCAA membership.
Job responsibilities:
- Contribute to the planning and execution of initiatives that support SSI’s four strategic priorities: mental and physical health; sport injury and illness; training and performance; and education and policy.
- Support health promotion efforts focused on student-athlete wellness, including mental health, sleep, nutrition, sexual violence prevention and harm reduction strategies.
- Assist in the execution of sports medicine and performance-related initiatives, which may include topics such as injury surveillance, overuse and periodization, drug education, and emerging health and safety concerns in college sports.
- Help create and refine educational materials, presentations and resources for member schools and stakeholder audiences.
- Assist with strategic communications by organizing content, contributing to website updates and supporting consistent messaging across platforms.
- Coordinate logistics and contribute to the execution of SSI events, including summits, advisory group meetings, and NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports meetings.
- Maintain and update internal databases, shared resources and project tools; contribute to data tracking and its application in program planning.
- Collaborate with internal NCAA departments and external partners on projects aligned with SSI’s mission and service areas.
- Complete additional duties based on team needs and project timelines.
Desired knowledge, skills and abilities
- Eligibility for the NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program.
- Bachelor’s degree (or master’s, where applicable) in a health-, athletics-, policy- or communication-related discipline (e.g., athletic training, public health, kinesiology, psychology, health education, nutrition or a related field).
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Familiarity with core concepts in health promotion, sports medicine, education and policy as they relate to promoting student-athlete health, safety and performance.
- Comfort using Microsoft Office and interest in learning project and content management platforms (e.g., Asana, SharePoint); exposure to basic data tools/analytics is a plus.
- Curiosity about the intersection of student-athlete well-being, higher education and sport, as well as a desire to contribute to a collaborative team environment.
Key competencies:
- Critical thinking.
- Collaboration.
- Adaptability.
- Stakeholder focus.
- Communication.
- Commitment to continuous learning.
- Tech-savvy and familiarity with data-informed decision-making.
- Organizational and membership awareness.
Download the Sport Science Institute job description.
